I have read this series from the beginning. I enjoy the character development and interaction throughout the series. It makes me want to move to a small village. The two plots in this book are excellent and come together in the end.

I have read all this authors books and thoroughly enjoy them. This was no exception. Thanks for the opportunity to read and good luck with this one.

“An Enemy in the Village” is the latest entry in the Chief Bruno mystery series by Martin Walker. The series is set in the French Dordogne region — beautiful countryside, lovely villages, great food — and, at least according to Mr. Walker, lots of mysteries. 

In this story, Bruno finds a dead woman in a parked car, along with an empty pill bottle and three letters. What can it all mean? How did she get here, and why? 

We go along with Bruno as he works to answer these questions. Walker perfectly balances descriptions of life in rural France, an engaging mystery, and larger, more serious issues. This is a delightful read and highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

305 pages

4 stars

In this latest in the Bruno series, Martin Walker spins a great tale of an estate agent who may have committed suicide.

Bruno is the local police official in this quiet little location. He is deeply involved in the social life of the area and has many friends. I love this series for its presentation of the French countryside and its people. The series has returning characters; they feel like old friends. Bruno’s love of the geographical area, and his closeness to the land is wonderful to see.

There are subplots in this story. Something “smells bad” at the political level. Not only does Bruno have a suspicious death, but there appears to be corruption afoot.

I truly enjoy the Bruno series. They are so well written and enjoyable. I find the books a chance to take a journey and relax.

I want to thank NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Knopf - Knopf for forwarding to me a copy of this wonderful book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

Interesting cop murder mystery. First I’ve read in this series but wasn’t lost. Bruno is a French police chief in the wine region when he finds a body of a woman who committed suicide. Lots of strings of wrong doing and working with corruption is never easy. Some of the details of cooking went over my head, as my French cuisine is limited, but the story kept my interest throughout and the exposure of the criminal activity was worth the read. Highly recommend this book and author.

An Enemy in the Village by Martin Walker is an enticing mystery taking place in France and featuring local police chief, Bruno. In France things works differently so not all of what we would consider police, fall under his control. That causes complications. Bruno is an all around nice guy who spends his spare time coaching children’s sports which he loves. It has the added benefit that, as these children grow, they view him as a friend, rather than an adversary. This story is written in a day-to-day manner, rather than just about the topic at hand. It includes dinner dates, dog walks, and drinks with friends. I found it a very appealing style. On this morning, Bruno has discovered a woman’s body in a parked car. An empty pill bottle present as well as three letters: her husband, her lawyer, her partner. The autopsy reveals an overdose of the sleeping pills from the bottle and he though it done and dusted. How wrong he was. There was also the problem of a gendarme who was behaving poorly to be dealt with. Another thing I liked, there were plenty of women included in this story, many in positions of power.

Bruno is a likable fellow. Most people agree. He does his job and does it well and has plenty of resources since he spends a lot of time in the community. This is the first of the series I have read and there will be more. He is also the ideal man, thoughtful and compassionate. He loves most of his life greenly: he grows most of his food; he walks most places he goes, at least within the surrounding area; he hunts and eats what he kills. He is empathetic and tries to help his neighbors. He is a great character. This was a good book, that flowed smoothly and related the quirks of life to the reader, good and bad. I enjoyed it.

I was invited to read An Enemy in the Village by Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley # KnopfPantheonVintageAndAnchor

I realize I've always read Martin Walker's books with great interest, knowing how he relates to the land and all its inhabitants with the respect it deserves. In this story Bruno is met with the case of a woman who has committed suicide after learning that she had lost a baby recently. There's plenty of the different women in this story, Bruno has also heard different things that he has done without the facts that a so important to him. What is important is that he has finally found a woman that also has a basset hound and is willing to have children. Is this another story to be told or are we just strung along waiting for Bruno to get married?? We shall see in the next book.

Martin Walker continues his excellent mysteries of Bruno Chief of Police with An Enemy in the Village. Bruno finds a woman who suicided in her car and suspects something is wrong. First a gendarme with no ethics steals fuel from the car and Bruno nails him and his colleagues on that; then he discovers that the gendarme has a powerful police uncle in Paris. Also several women including an officer he works with and the bishop's employee have been sexually attacked by this perp. Suddenly Bruno is being attacked by the Greens, the far right parties and a sleazy lawyer. The sleaze bag gendarme is arrested and charged and Bruno fends off the political attacks, but he senses the husband of the suicide has done something very wrong. This husband will inherit nothing; the wife had lost her baby. What is going on. Enjoy also Balzac the dog and his antics.

This is the eighteenth volume in the Bruno, Chief of Police series and the same high standards apply. In this one a local real estate agent is found dead in her car in St. Denis. Maybe a suicide, maybe murder. Bruno and the team must uncover the truth while several plot lines intersect, including an attempt to discredit Bruno. A new potential love interest and some truly great meals round out this very readable story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for granting me access to this wonderful read. I'm always excited to spend time with Bruno, and this book did not disappoint!

I was so happy to see the quick return of my favorite French police chief Bruno this summer. This new adventure sees the return of many of the important characters from the novels, but Bruno is also meeting new connections as his role expands in the valley. I breezed through An Enemy in the Village in a day and half with its fast pace and engaging plot twists! Always wish for more time with Bruno and his community. Recommend for those who love murder mystery and coverups this is a fun read with some important political thoughts.

Content warning: pregnancy loss, suicide.

What a delight Martin Walker’s “Bruno” series is. The 18 (it’s 18 now, right?) entries strike the perfect note between charming (but not cozy) and serious (but still lighthearted. I’ve enjoyed every one I’ve read, whether they are dealing with the small matters of village life or with big, timely issues of the day. Walker’s biggest triumph is to make “An Enemy in the Village” feel as fresh as the earlier books, no mean feat for a long-running series.

AN ENEMY IN THE VILLAGE by Martin Walker is book 18 in the Bruno, Chief of Police series. This mystery is set in St. Denis, a small village in the Périgord (Dordogne) region of France, a little over two hours southwest of Paris by train. Walker recently appeared at Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, DC and commented then on the way Bruno seems to have entered into the hearts of readers around the world. His own affection for Bruno and his many fictional friends (like the mayor, the riding school director, local author, and the doctor) and their families is evident, too; Walker describes this special camaraderie as having "taken on a life of its own which I feel particularly delighted about." AN ENEMY IN THE VILLAGE has Bruno investigating the apparent suicide of Monique, a local entrepreneur in the real estate and hospitality field. There is also a new romantic interest, Laura, who shares Bruno's interests, especially in basset hounds. And whiffs of internal corruption between the cops and gendarmes, bolstered by the Greens contributing to a misinformation campaign which could harm Bruno. Always full of twisty mysteries, sumptuous food and wine, and adventure in a European setting, be sure to look for titles in this excellent series.

Bruno finds a dead body in a car he finds a suicide note and discovers that the dead woman is Monique. The deceased is successful realtor married to a younger man. Sadly, he learns from business partners, that she had recently suffered a miscarriage and was depressed.
Abrupt change in plot - Bruno's reputation is being targeted by assorted groups and gossip is spreading in St. Denis. After many chapters about the why of the rumors readers are returned to the resolution of Monique's death.
In between Bruno meets yet another romantic interest, cooks several marvelous meals with the preparation recounted in excruciating detail, serves as Pere Noel and buys unique Christmas gifts for his friends.
This is #18 in the series and Walker may be running out of interest in the character.

4.25


Part of me wants to give this a 5.0 just because of the new, longer “biography” of Martin Walker at the book’s end. Apparently a more impressive human would be hard to find. This would be an additional five stars to those awarded immediately upon reading the dedication to his newest basset puppy, Violette.

The story itself is creative and you will be overwhelmed by all of the characters. I had to stop and generate an AI list of series character and who they are because it’s just so confusing. So many typical French names that ran together for me. However, with all of the characters vying for attention, a couple are noticeably absent.

I also tried to generate some that explained the different law enforcement bodies in France because I just can’t get it. What is this world where the simple act of reading, although in an electronic format, can still find need of AI. A diagram in the front of the book would not go amiss.

Even the the impressive Mr. Walker and the surely more impressive Violette have maxed out the stars, the story line itself may knocks it down a little bit. It’s always unsettling when we don’t know if there was even a murder for a long stretch of time. There is a separate crime storyline with a deplorable cadet of the Gendarmes and that carries things for a bit while we try to get to the bottom of the questionable death. Someone from one of these two cases is making Bruno pay for his perceived misdeeds and it’s fun to watch Bruno meet every shot.

For you Balzac lovers out there, this is a pretty big dose. Some of his kids even make appearances and his new girlfriend is nice. I’m not sure about her name though. I won’t spoil it, but it’s long and masculine sounding and could learn a thing from the obviously adorable Violette

I couldn’t guess the ending. I mean you kind of know but you don’t. I’m lukewarm on Laura. I am not really getting his penchant for short-hair blondes but there’s definitely a pattern. Is she really just Isabelle 2.0?

To soe degree, Bruno is just too amazing to be legitimate, but he still has an interesting life that I wish I was living.

Thank you to Martin Walker, NetGalley, and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book for my unbiased review.

#AnEnemyintheVillage #NetGalley #bookreview #ADHDreader #BrunoChiefofPilice #foundfamily #cozymystery #bassethound #foodie #MartinWalker #KnopfPantheonVintageandAnchor
#history #france #Dordogne

Another great Bruno book from Martin Walker. Bruno drives to a remote overlook to enjoy the view and finds another car parked there with someone slumped over the steering wheel. The woman has been dead for several hours. There is an empty box of zolpidem on the floor and three sealed addressed envelopes on the passenger seat. The first is the Rebecca Weil, the second to Laura Segret and the third to her husband Dominic. Bruno finds out that the woman is Monique and she has just lost a baby and her doctor is Fabiola. She has been a concierge taking care of chateaus and renting them out when owners aren't there. The first letter was going to her lawyer who told Bruno that Monique wanted her company to go to the women who worked with her and not to her husband Dominic.

Meanwhile, Bruno starts hearing radio announcers denigrating him and claiming he was getting money he shouldn't have. Bruno discovers some police who aren't behaving as they should. When Bruno meets Laura, the woman to get the second letter from Monique, they immediately like each other, and she has a bassett hound. It turns out that the dogs also become friends. Bruno finds out that Monique's husband is not happy about not inheriting Monique's business even though he had signed a prenup saying he wouldn't get any of it. There are a lot of things happening in this book, but as in the past, when all is done the bad guys are punished and Bruno has won.

I thank Netgalley and Knopf for giving me an ARC so that I could read the book before publication. I can't wait for the next book!

Another entertaining and reliable title in this series. Not a criticism. I enjoyed the food and landscape descriptions along with the story itself about one’s attempt to fix a problem. An sometimes make it worse. Add another story line about a dead woman’s will, a new love interest for Bruno, and you have a pleasant book to enjoy.

An Enemy in the Village is Book 18 in the Bruno, Chief of Police series. Readers can count on Martin Walker to create a well-written novel in this series. As has been true of every Chief Bruno novel, and I have read all of them, there is food, dogs, and women. This novel begins with a tragic suicide, which leads to a new woman for Bruno and the possibility of a deeper romance. Given that there are obstacles to a lasting relationship, readers will likely find Bruno remains an unmarried but generous protagonist. Unlike in the previous Bruno novels, there is no investigation to occupy Bruno.

There are many contemporary issues noted in An Enemy in the Village, including climate change and the effect on grapes and wine production. The impending invasion of Ukraine is also noted. Politics turn up as well, with attacks on Bruno's integrity and ethics. The Chief Bruno novels are not fast-paced. These are books for a lazy afternoon of reading with a glass of wine nearby. Bruno does not really grow or change in any of these novels, which is my one disappointment. Bruno spends a lot of time longing for a wife and children, but repeatedly looks for new women, instead of noticing the single mother nearby, who has always been in love with him. Let's face it. Bruno looks new challenges and ignores what is nearby.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review, which I have provided. I do recommend An Enemy in the Village. It is always a treat to meet up with Chief Bruno again.

4 stars

A new addition to certain series is always a cause for celebration. Those series whose characters feel like old friends. Among those series, for me, is the Bruno, Chief of Police series set in the Perigord area of southwest France.
An Enemy in the Village is the 18th book. It begins when Bruno finds a successful businesswoman dead in her car, an apparent suicide. A subplot involves a young, politically connected, gendarme accused of sexually assaulting women. But then, things take an odd turn when a campaign starts to single out Bruno for different kinds of accusations. This is a different story, in that there is no real investigation. Those looking for g for that might find themselves disappointed as the crimes, such as they are, definitely take a backseat in this story.
One thing I’ve been hoping for over the last ten or so books is for Bruno to find a love interest. Someone looking for the same sort of permanent relationship that could lead to marriage and kids. Something his last two paramours were not interested in. So, it was wonderful to have Bruno meet Laura, one of the dead woman’s business partners. And she was the pet parent of a lovely female Basset Hound to boot! I’ll be curious to see how things develop.
Walker finds numerous chances to explain Bruno’s philosophy of life, whether it be politics, the enjoyment of the outdoors, good food and wine. He also manages to sneak in bits of the area’s history which I appreciate.
This series is never fast paced. It’s definitely focused on character development. This book was also heartwarming, as Bruno’s friendships were at the heart of the story.
My thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for an advance copy of this book.